Christmas at the Restaurant Read online

  “No, I’m good. I’m glad you liked it though.”

  “I might take Billy out fishing this weekend. He said he’s never been ice-fishing before. I warned him that it’s cold this time of year, and there’s not many fish, but he doesn’t seem to mind. It’s not bad when we bundle up.” He looked excited to go and Mandy smiled. It didn’t sound at all fun to her. She hated being cold. “Well, you guys have fun.”

  He laughed. “I know I’ll probably never get you out there, not this time of year anyway.”

  “You’ve got that right.”

  Billy had the rest of the table laughing as he told a funny story about one of his candidates and a recent search that they almost didn’t fill when Matt spoke softly so he wouldn’t interrupt the others.

  “What are your plans for Christmas? Do you have the kids all day or do they go to their Dad’s too?”

  “We were just talking about that the other day. I think the plan is that I’ll have them Christmas Eve and then he’ll have them for Christmas afternoon and night.”

  “I’d like to have you over for dinner Christmas night, if that’s all right. Your sisters too. Everyone is welcome.”

  Mandy thought about that for a minute. “Thank you. I definitely want to see you on Christmas too, but why don’t you come to my place instead? It might be easier as Emma and Paul were going to stop by after he sees his parents and I’m not sure exactly what time that will be.”

  “Well, if you’re sure? I don’t want to invite myself.”

  Mandy gave his hand a squeeze. “I want you there. Thank you for inviting all of us.”

  Matt relaxed a little. “Okay. Keep my place in mind for New Year’s Eve then.”

  Mandy laughed. “Sure, that’s a possibility.”

  Gina’s hair was not cooperating. The cold weather seemed to make it take even longer to dry and she hadn’t cut it in a few months, so it was longer than usual, almost half-way down her back. And it was so thick and wavy that she usually only washed it a few times a week—it actually looked better on day two or three. But, she’d worked the night before and sometimes it seemed her hair smelled like the restaurant—not that Jared was likely to mind that, but she preferred the scent of freshly washed hair and her favorite green apple shampoo.

  She’d just finally finished drying it when the phone rang and she was surprised to see it was Alex. It was still so strange to think the guy she’d once had such a crush on had moved to Nantucket and walked into her restaurant. And looked just as good as she remembered.

  “Morning beautiful.” His voice was cheerful and she could picture him smiling.

  “Hi Alex.”

  “Are you still up for showing me that restaurant you mentioned? The Mexican place?”

  “Millie’s. Yes, of course.”

  “Great. What night is good for you next week? My schedule is wide open.” He laughed.

  “I’m off Tuesday night.”

  “Okay, Tuesday it is then. Do you mind picking me up? Or I could meet you somewhere downtown. Whatever works for you.”

  “I’ll pick you up.” He gave her his address and she jotted it down.

  “See you at six then?”

  “Six is perfect. See you then, Alex.”

  Gina was still smiling as she put the phone down and gave her hair a final brush. Just a week ago she’d been feeling down about the holidays and hadn’t had a date in weeks and suddenly she sort of had two lined up with very different guys—though she wasn’t really sure either was really a date, even though Connie seemed to think so. She hoped that Alex was interested, but she wondered if he was just looking for a friend to show him around. And Jared, as cute as he was, she wasn’t even remotely considering their afternoon at the Stroll to be a date. Not in the slightest. But, she was looking forward to it, to seeing what all the fuss was about the Stroll.

  She added an extra layer, a warm, red cashmere sweater over a snuggly white turtleneck and her favorite soft jeans and black boots. A red hat, mittens and scarf, her long white wool coat and she was dressed and ready to go. She lived about a half-mile from downtown and decided to walk as she knew it was going to be mobbed and nearly impossible to park. Plus, she figured she could use the walk and it wasn’t too bad out. It was cold but sunny and there was no wind.

  She left at a quarter to twelve and made her way toward downtown and the Straight Wharf restaurant which was at the beginning of Main Street. She was a few minutes early, but Jared was already there, leaning against the side of a building and watching the crowds. There were already throngs of people of all ages walking around.

  Jared smiled and waved when he saw her. He was dressed warmly too in jeans, hiking boots, a hunter green down jacket, navy hat and sweater.

  “You made it.” His eyes twinkled as he glanced up Main Street toward the group of carolers in front of the old-fashioned Nantucket Pharmacy. “Shall we go hear some carols and say hi to Connie?”

  “Sure, lead the way.”

  Slowly they walked along Main Street, stopping as they went to admire the creative Christmas windows. Each store had decorated their windows and storefronts, some with twinkling lights, others with spray snow paint and other decorations. They stepped inside one of Gina’s favorite stores, Nantucket Threads, where Izzy the owner, who was about Gina’s age, was handing out samples of hot mulled cider, selling packets of the cider spice mix and all kinds of fun Christmas sweaters and ornaments.

  “Cider?” Jared asked as he took one for himself and when she nodded, handed one to her. Gina took a sip and the hot, sweet beverage warmed her and tasted like the holidays. She smelled cinnamon and other spices. Gina noticed a few new sweaters—not Christmas ones, just pretty ones that she would have liked to get a closer look at, but didn’t want to bore Jared by sweater shopping for herself.

  “It looks like you have some new stuff in. I’ll stop back in next week,” Gina said to Izzy as Jared stepped outside. She followed him and they continued on their way. Connie saw them as they drew close and waved. A good crowd had gathered around the carolers and they stayed and listened to several songs before moving on. They were about to step into another store when Jared tapped her arm. “Look, Santa’s coming.”

  A firetruck with a waving Santa slowly came down Main Street, which was closed to all other traffic. A line of children ran behind the truck, their parents close behind.

  “Where is it going?” Gina asked.

  “The Jared Coffin House, I think. That’s where kids will line up to sit on Santa’s lap.” He glanced at the gift shop straight ahead. “It looks like this store is handing out cookies. Are you interested?”

  Gina’s stomach rumbled in response and she laughed. “Yes, please.”

  They looked around a bit in the store, gratefully accepted a bite-sized shortbread cookie, then moved on to the Sweet Inspirations chocolate shop, which was handing out samples of their famous chocolate-covered cranberries, which Gina loved. She bought a small bag of dark chocolate-covered ones and they snacked on those as they continued strolling around.

  As they walked she felt the air shift and grow colder and a few minutes later, fluffy snowflakes started to fall. It was pretty to watch and definitely added to the festive feeling. For the first time in several years, Gina felt herself feeling a bit of the Christmas spirit.

  “Do you like chestnuts?” Jared asked. “I might buy a bag if you’ll help me eat them.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever had them. I’ll try one.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Jared bought a paper sack of chestnuts from a street vendor and brought them over to Gina. They sat on a wooden bench and pulled off their mittens and Jared showed her how to peel the hot chestnuts. They were roasted with an X scored into their bottoms which made it easy to pull off the outer shell. The nut inside was soft and starchy and unlike anything Gina had tried before. It was an unusual taste, but she liked it and reached for another. They polished off the rest of the bag and got up to keep exploring.

 
Ten minutes later, they turned a corner and Jared glanced her way.

  “Any interest in cookie decorating?”

  Gina looked toward the sign that Jared was looking at. Cookie decorating was about to start in a few minutes.

  “Sure, let’s do it.”

  Long tables were lined up along the sidewalk for the cookie decorating. Big Santa sugar cookies waited on paper plates and every few feet there were squeeze bottles of frosting and shakers of sugar glitter. They had a blast decorating their cookies and after Gina took a selfie of them holding up their creations, Jared immediately bit into his and she did the same. They continued nibbling as they walked along taking in all the sights.

  A group of three women strolled past them, all wearing glossy mink coats. Two other ladies came toward them in very warm-looking brown beaver coats. The groups of women all waved to each other.

  Gina laughed once the women were out of sight. “I’ve never seen so many fur coats in my life.”

  “Well it is Nantucket. Can’t have Stroll without everyone showing off their fur coats,” he agreed. “I could actually go for a hot coffee. Want to stop into the Corner Table and warm up for a bit?”

  “That sounds good.” The Corner Table cafe was right around the corner, on Federal Street and it was busy, but after they got their coffees, a table by the window opened up and Gina scooted over to get it while Jared followed with their coffees. They settled down and took off their coats.

  Gina was curious to learn more about Jared. She knew he’d lived on the island longer than her.

  “What drew you to Nantucket?” she asked.

  “We used to have a summer place here when I was growing up. My parents divorced ten or so years ago and my mother decided to move here. I was working on the Cape, at a restaurant in Chatham and about five years ago I was just ready for a change. My mother said she loved being here year-round. I always loved it here, and missed seeing her.”

  Gina nodded. “That’s one downside of living here, it’s not convenient to go off-island.”

  “Right. It’s easier if you live here than to try and visit someone that lives here. My mother used to live in Duxbury and I could just zip up from the Cape to see her. I hardly ever go off-island now and I’m pretty happy here. It’s more laid back, yet there are still some really high-end restaurants.”

  “You’re liking it so far at Mimi’s Place?”

  “It’s great. I’m learning a lot from Paul. Eventually, I want to have my own restaurant, but I know I’m not ready yet. Maybe in a few more years.”

  That intrigued her. Jared sounded passionate about what he did. She admired that. “What will your place be like? Have you thought about it?”

  “All the time. I think it will be small, more of a bistro, with all fresh herbs. I have an herb garden and love using fresh herbs. The flavor is just so good. I see it as elegantly casual, so not stuffy but the kind of place you can relax and enjoy really good food.”

  “That sounds great. Do you have any other family here, any brothers or sisters?”

  He shook his head. “No, it’s just me.”

  “And you live with your mom?”

  “Sort of, but not really. There’s a guest house, a small cottage on the property and that’s where I’m staying. My mother wanted me to live in the main house with her, but this way we each have our own space, and I’m nearby in case she needs me.”

  “That sounds perfect. I’m in a cottage like that too. It was a caretaker’s cottage on a big estate. It’s perfect for one person and the rent was relatively affordable, for Nantucket.”

  “Are you dating anyone?” Jared asked casually as he reached for his coffee.

  Gina hesitated then chose her words carefully. “I haven’t been recently. I have a first date next week though.”

  He nodded. “That guy you were talking to at the bar the other night?”

  “Yeah. He’s someone I knew in Boston. We worked together years ago, but we never dated before. He was with someone else then. What about you?”

  “I’m not dating anyone. I was pretty serious with someone for several years, but we broke up a few months ago. She moved off-island, said she couldn’t see herself living here long-term.”

  “It’s not for everyone,” Gina agreed. “I love it here, but I’ve had a few times where I’ve wondered too, like when the boats aren’t running. I had to go to a funeral a few months ago and almost didn’t make it off-island. I got on the last plane before they stopped flying and then had to rent a car in Hyannis. It was stressful.”

  “Do you see yourself staying here now? Or do you still think you might want to move back to Boston?”

  “I love it here. I think it would be hard to live in Boston again after being here. It’s a special place.”

  Jared smiled. “It is. Are you working tonight? I just noticed the time and we should probably get going. It’s after three.” They both had to be in by four.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize it was so late.” Gina stood and grabbed their empty coffee cups and dropped them in the trash.

  “How did you get here? I think you said you were going to walk? I drove, so I can give you a ride home if you like. That will save you some time.”

  “I did walk and I’d love that, thanks.”

  She followed Jared to his Jeep which was parked by the supermarket. She climbed in and a few minutes later, he pulled into her driveway.

  “I had a really fun time. Thank you for making sure I experienced Nantucket Stroll.”

  “I’m glad you came. It was fun for me too. See you at work.”

  Chapter 5

  Jill glanced out the big bay window at Mimi’s Place and marveled at the size of the crowds streaming by. Christmas Stroll felt even busier than summertime because it was so concentrated over one weekend. She and Billy had checked it out the day before, Friday afternoon, before heading in for their first shift. The fun holiday activities had put both of them in a festive mood. And she’d been impressed by how well Billy picked things up at the reservations desk. He’d once worked at a restaurant briefly during college, and even though that was years ago, it came right back to him. She could hear him now as he greeted Connie Boyle and two of her girlfriends who by the looks of their outfits, were done caroling for the day.

  “Don’t you ladies look beautiful and so festive. We have a table by the window that I think you’ll enjoy. You can watch the Christmas crowds strolling by.”

  “That sounds perfect! You must be Billy, Jill’s husband.”

  Jill smiled at the surprise in Billy’s voice when he answered.

  “Why yes, I am.”

  “I thought so. I’m Connie Boyle, one of the regulars here, and I was a friend of the girls’ grandmother. Mandy said you’d be working this weekend.”

  “We’re actually here through New Year’s Eve, so you might see even more of me.” He turned on the charm as only Billy could, and the three ladies beamed at him as he led them to their table. He handed them menus and they looked up as Stacy, one of their servers came over.

  “You’re in good hands now. Enjoy your lunch, ladies.”

  It was really more of an early dinner as it was a quarter to four, which was kind of an in-between time when service was slow and they normally changed shifts and got ready for the evening service. But, today was different. Billy, Jill and Emma were all working double shifts, while Mandy was taking the kids to the Stroll. The lunch service had been mobbed earlier, as expected. Even now, there were a few scattered tables throughout the dining room, but it was much quieter. Jill smiled to herself, thinking that it was like the calm before the storm. The bar was almost empty—there was just one older couple having Irish coffees. Jill had worked the bar by herself for lunch, as Gina was off experiencing the Stroll for the first time. She was due in any minute and the bar would be much busier in the evening.

  The window table where Connie and her friends were sitting was in earshot of the bar and while Jill cut fruit to prep for the evening shift,
she couldn’t help overhearing their conversation with Stacy.

  “Hello, dear. Have you had a chance to take your kids to stroll yet?” Connie asked.

  “Yes, we went earlier today, so they could all sit on Santa’s lap. And Connie, I really owe you a thank you. John was hired by The Lawson Group yesterday.”

  “Oh, that’s marvelous news! You don’t need to thank me for that, though.”

  Stacy smiled. “Yes, I do. I know you said something to Mandy, because I hadn’t. And she sent John’s resume to Cory Lawson. It’s much appreciated.”

  Connie beamed. “Well, I’m so glad it worked out, dear.”

  Stacy took their order as a customer came to the bar and Jill went over to say hello.

  Ten minutes later, Mandy walked in and stopped by the bar to say hello to Jill.

  “Are you ready for the mad rush? They should start pouring in soon.”

  Jill smiled. “I’m ready. Did you have fun with the kids today?”

  “Yes, they loved it. Especially the cookie decorating and eating. Thanks again for covering for me.”

  “Of course. So, I just overheard that Cory hired Stacy’s husband. That’s great news, and a little surprising. Is he turning into a softy suddenly?”

  Mandy laughed, “Hardly. I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to add another person, but he seemed excited when he saw John’s resume and told me this morning that he hired him almost without talking to him. He has a unique skillset and Cory knows people at the company John worked at. He did a backdoor reference and they raved about him. Cory said he expects that John will help make the company a lot of money.”

  Jill nodded. “Now that sounds more like Cory. I’m glad it worked out. Stacy is really sweet.”

  “She is. Oh, I’d better run, they’re starting to come in.”

  Jill glanced toward the front desk where Billy was grabbing a stack of menus to seat a family, and there was another party of three people waiting behind them. As Mandy left to help, she passed Gina on her way in. Gina’s cheeks were pink from the cold and her long black hair was up in a ponytail, tied with a red velvet ribbon. Like Jill, she was wearing a crisp, white button-down shirt, black pants and a black apron.